The world ofskincare and beautycan be a confusing place. From the ingredients used in products to the words used to describe skin conditions, it’s okay to feel a little confused. It can be difficult to be informed about skin care when you have no ideas what the common terms mean. This guide will help you to tell your hyperpigmentation from your humectants … You’ll be an expert in no time!

Hyperpigmentation is a common skin condition. It isn’t a cause for alarm but the appearance of marks on the skin can lead sufferers to seek advice and help. Put simply, pigmentation of any kind is when patches of skin become darker than the skin surrounding it. The reason that this change in color occurs is that excess melanin forms deposits in the skin. Melanin is the pigment responsible for normal skin color.

An excess is produced for a few different reasons. The most common reason is overexposure to the sun. Too much time spent in the sun affects our skin in various ways. One of the ways is that it encourages the production of melanin. There are different types of pigmentation which have different names. You can learn about melasma, sun spots, post-acne pigmentation, and others, by getting in touch with your doctor or dermatologist.

Humectants are great for those who have dry skin. Put simplyhumectants are substances that are able to retain moisture. Popular examples of humectants include glycolic acid, which is usually found in super-rich moisturizers. They are very absorbent and for that reason, they are popular amongst those who want softer and more nourished skin.

If you have acne or get blemishes from time to time, you’ll have come across the word comedones. A comedo is basically a spot. Comedone is the plural. Comedones can be open or closed depending on the type of spot. A closed comedone is a whitehead. It has an obstructed opening and can rupture and cause inflammation. You’ll notice this as the redness you see around your whiteheads from time to time.

An open comedo is a blackhead. This type of spot has a wide opening to the skin and is instantly recognisable due to its colour. The reason these spots are black, and therefore called blackheads, is because they oxidise. Unlike whiteheads, these spots are exposed to air. When that happens the tip becomes black.

Hypoallergenic is a common skin care term which you’ll see on plenty of bottles. It means that none of the ingredients that have been used in the product should cause allergic reactions. If you have sensitive skin you’re recommended to use these products. The formulas often cause less irritation and are specially adapted for those with any sensitivities.

Everyone knows that it’s important to lead anactive lifestyleto keep our health and fitness in top shape. And one of the cheapest and easiest ways to stay active is to regularly jog. While it does wonders for your fitness levels, jogging can also cause some injuries if you push yourself too far at an early stage. Thankfully, most of these injuries can be quickly treated but suffering from one will mean that you need to push back your training schedule. And that is enough to put any jogger in a bad mood! To make sure you stay safe while pounding the streets, here are some of the most common jogging-related injuries and how you can avoid them.

Shin Splints

The most common jogging injury of them all is shin splints. This is an umbrella term that applies to any pains that occur in the shins, but most people experience them as shooting pains that travel up the side of the shin. These occur when you increase the intensity of your running too quickly. Either you have run too fast, run too often during a week, or run too far in one session. When you are new to jogging, it is important that you take things very slowly to start off with, and only build up your exercise once you know your body can cope with it. If yourshin splintspersist, see your doctor.

Knee Injuries

Another part of the body that tends to be affected by running is the knees. Joggers usually experience Runner’s Knee at some point, which occurs when the kneecap sits on the thigh bone. As a result, pain is usually noticeable while you are resting and often disappears during any exercise. No one really knows why this condition develops, but it is often more commonly found in young female runners. There is differentknee pain treatmentavailable, but most people try a change of running shoes before they visit their doctor. All running shoes offer slightly different support, and the chances are that you aren’t getting enough from your current pair.

Another potential injury you need to be wary of is Achilles tendinitis. This is when the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed after too much activity. The symptoms of this condition include pain and swelling. Unfortunately, this condition is often slow to heal as there is a limited blood flow to the heel and Achilles. The best way to deal with this form of tendonitis is to rest up for a while and ice the ankle to reduce pain and swelling. Someankle stretchescan also relieve discomfort. If you see your doctor, they will be able to offer you someorthotics, such as heel lifts and structured shoes. When you start to get back into jogging, take it nice and easy so that you can ease back into your training schedule without the condition flaring up again.

Don’t let pain get in the way of your running! Hopefully, all of this information will help!

We all have people in our life that we want to be like. There are people that we enjoy being around because of their energy and confidence, people are just drawn to them. They don’t have to be ‘in your face’ to be confident. Because really, being confident is all about being happy in yourself and confident with who you are. Not necessarily who is happiest talking in front of large crowds or likes to be the center of attention. So if you want to be more like those people that admire, then you can be. There are several steps that you can take to help give your confidence a boost. You might feel a bit of theimposter syndrometo start with. But after a while, and as your confidence grows, you’ll be happier in yourself and more confident in life.

Make Changes

It is quite easy to make some changes in your life, to give yourself a short-term boost. For instance, if the job you are in knocks your confidence, you can look to change it. If being on Facebook affects how you feel, you can delete it. If your weight is a problem for you, you could look for a trusted medical aesthetic doctor for a fat loss treatment, for example. If you’re bored with your hair, you can book an appointment with a hairdresser and have some changes made to it. They might just be a ‘quick fix’ or something a little short-term. But if it helps on your journey to feeling more confident, then there is nothing wrong with that.

Have you noticed something about the confident people that you admire? They have body language that just makes them seem more confident and positive. They look people in the eye, and they hold their head high. They don’t slouch or slump their shoulders. Confident peoplelook confident. So if you’re not even too sure about how you stand, it could be a good idea to stand in front of the mirror and just stand. Do you slouch, stick out your hips or slump a little? Try holding your head high and rolling your shoulders back to give yourself an instant look of confidence. How you hold yourself can have a lot to do with the impression you give off to people, as well as how you act. So it is worth a try!

Set Yourself Goals

When you are achieving the goals you have set for yourself, then it can be really hard to feel down on yourself. So it is a really good practice to get into. It is a good idea to have some large goals that you want to work towards. But along the way, having some shorter term goals is a good idea too. Then you can work towards your larger end goal, without feeling like a failure if it is taking a while. Smaller, more achievable goals are the way to get to your grand goal in the end.

When we think about throwing a party, our teenage brain might go back to red cups and beer pong - but when you reach adulthood, it doesn’t necessarilyhave to be this way(but if you want to it to be , then go ahead, nobody’s stopping you, enjoy the nostalgia!). There are so many ways to have a fabulous evening - the grownup way.

Fancy Dress

You don’t necessarily have to do fancy dress as in costume characters from your favourite movie; you can take this as an actual fancy dress, where you don your best outfits. Whether it’s ball gowns, tuxedos or old prom dresses that haven’t seen the light of day in a good few years, giving yourself the opportunity to utilise these clothes outside of a wedding or formal event is definitely the way to go. It makes for a proper evening, one that you can go all out on - while pretending that you’re someone you’re most definitely not, which is the most fun thing about it.

Set the Scene

Whether you’re having a themed party with pineapples or a throwback to the 1920s, you will always need to set the scene. Even a simple chill party can be made better with a few scatter cushions thrown around and candles to bring you into the mood and vibe of the party that you want. If you are having a themed party, make sure that you get everything right for it, and well in advance; you don’t want to be rushing around on the day putting stuff together haphazardly in high hopes that it’s going to look good for the evening. People appreciate presentation rather than a lack of effort - so put in your best!

Think of the rooms that you have in your home. You could throw a dinner party and make good use of your dining room if it’s not sat in regularly; make sure that you have all of the correct dining room furnitureto host a sit-down meal rather than scraping around for spare chairs. It’s a good excuse to finish off this room if it’s never really received any love and attention, too - if it’s got a specific event to be ready for, you’ll be more inclined to get it up to scratch. Making sure that everything matches isn’t necessarily key here - it’s more about creating a room which reflects your style first and foremost, but also being able to be used correctly as the room it was intended to be.

Keep to Character

Again, if you are having a themed party (even a themed dinner party -murder mystery nights are great fun!) make sure that you stay in character. It’s easy enough to break if you need to, but it makes the party all the more interesting - especially if your guests have to uphold accents and demeanours which they totally can’t. It sets a precedent for the rest of the evening and can be something that you look back on to with fond memory.

If you go back a decade, you’ll travel back in time to an age where we used tripods or timers on cameras to take a shot of ourselves in front of dramatic scenery or bucket-list worthy attractions. Fast forward, and you can’t move for people trying to take that perfect selfie. There’s a lot to be said for being able to take photos easily, but has the selfie played a part in zapping our self-confidence?

When you look in the mirror, you probably don’t spend hours analysing what your teeth look like or whether your cheekbones are prominent enough. Selfies have given us the opportunity to see ourselves all the time, and every time we take a photo, we tend to spend time looking at the detail of it, and sadly, rather than focusing on the positives, we dwell on our flaws. Dentists, for example, have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking cosmetic dental treatment and asking for information about whitening products such as those available onmiswakclub.comsince the dawn of the selfie. Everyone, even those with beautiful teeth, wants that flawless Instagram-worthy smile. The reality of the situation is that the same person can look completely different depending on the angle of the shot, the proximity of the phone and the lighting.

Many of usaim for perfection, and this simply doesn’t exist. You may start to zone in on problems you’d never ever noticed before due to the magnification and the angle of the shot. If you took a normal photo, for example, your nose would probably be in proportion. When you’re shooting a selfie from close range, your nose may look a lot larger than it is in real life, and this can breed a complex out of nothing. Try not to focus on one bad photo in a set of 10 or 20. Even supermodels don’t nail every shot.

Comparing yourself to others

When you take a selfie, what do you do with it? Do you keep it to yourself or do you share it with others? Most of us are happy to upload photos onto sites like Instagram and Facebook, and this opens us up to the opinions of others and encourages us to compare ourselves to other people.Comparing ourselves to othersis a human trait, but it can be really damaging. Even a good filter can change a shot dramatically before you start throwing in editing or airbrushing apps, and this can present us with an ideal, which we can’t live up to in reality.

Many of us suffer from a lack of confidence, and often, this relates to the way we look or the way we think we look. Selfies can be fun, but don’t let them take over your life. It can be damaging to spend too much time analysing your appearance, especially if you tend to zone on features you perceive as imperfections.

Traditionally, the hen night is the night the wedding festivities truly begin. After a lot of hassle, arguments, the occasional tantrum and discussions about finite details you’d never thought about before - you have the chance to enjoy the bright lights, laugh, and really blow off some steam.

If you organised the hen night then it might not be without its stresses. Ensuring people have a good time is top of your to-do list, but with the right planning and the right venue, it’s unlikely to be something you have to worry about too much. Okay, it’s astressleading up to it, but on the night itself? Time to party and relax.

While there are various things outside of your control that can make the night stall for enjoyment, there is one major consideration: excessive talk about the impending wedding.

How Can That Be A Problem?

It’s a hen night. Someone is getting married; as the organiser, it’s probably a close friend or relative of yours. She’s a bride-to-be, so it’s natural that the wedding is going to be on everyone’s mind.

That’s what you tell yourself when it begins. Maybe the talk is started by an out-of-town friend or a chirpybridesmaid, harmlessly querying how they chose thewording for their invitesor whether they have written their own vows. The bride-to-be, delighted to have a captive audience, sits down and explains the answer is excruciating detail.

So that’s it - and there’s no harm done, is there? It’s a moment of light discussion, nothing to be concerned about.

Except… People Are Polite

Here’s where the problem comes. As the bride-to-be answers one question, others are going to want to be polite - or genuinely curious as to the answers. So the innocent question morphs, as someone asks a follow-up such as what flowersdid they choose or where did they get those invites from, exactly?

You’ve now lost control of the night.

Is It Really That Bad?

Is it going to be a catastrophe? No - let’s keep things in perspective here. But nothing spoils a night of revelry like focusing on the finer details of the wedding. Not only does it become boring for those in the party who don’t much care about these things, but you also risk an overly-emotional bride. She becomes distracted from the ‘last night of freedom’ as she suddenly remembers… she didn’t actually call that caterer back, did she?

The mood is ruined, no one is having fun, the bride is fretting, and the night is unravelling.

The “No Wedding Talk” Clause

The only way to handle this situation is to confront it head on. At the start of the night, suggest that anyone who has any questions about the wedding that can’t wait until tomorrow, go ahead and ask them. Get it out of the way, move on, and all agree that there will be no more wedding discussion.

If despite this someone brings it up, then it’s harmless fun to suggest a penalty for doing so. Wearing a ridiculous sash or silly hat for 10 minutes should keep everyone else from making the same mistake - and thus, the night is saved.

When you fall in love, you expect it to be forever, but that isn’t always the case. Here are some tips on how to deal with a break up...

Try To Forget Him

Of course, forgetting your ex is a whole lot easier said than done, so no one can expect you to say ‘Who, him? I don’t care any more’ three days after he’s dumped you for his secretary. Heartbreak is okay, crying is okay, taking time to be kind to yourself is also completely okay. But you should do your best not to indulge yourself too much - don’t stalk him on social media, don’t torture yourself by looking at old wedding pictures or messages he sent you in better days. Try to go on a clean break.

Divorce can be a huge emotional hit, so chances are right after a break up you’re still reeling. But it can also be a huge legal and financial hit, which means that you need to protect yourself as much as you can. Speak to adivorce mediatorwho can help you get through the process with minimum cost and hassle, by keeping it out of the court. Make sure that you don’t trust your ex too much - he might seem generous with money to begin with but you need to make sure that you protect yourself and your kids and that you get what you want. The realities of divorce might change his tune so get everything in writing and don’t listen to empty promises.

Make sure that you spend plenty of your time with your friends and family. If you have kids, invite your friends over on the nights that you can’t get a babysitter, and rope them in to babysit on other nights so that you can go out. Nothing will make you feel better than listening to your friends criticise your ex - if you’re missing him it’ll be nice to discover that not everyone thinks he’s perfect.

In a marriage you often have to compromise on parts of yourself so now’s the time to rediscover them. Go to art classes, start gardening, read more without your ex interrupting, cook foods that he didn’t particularly enjoy (if he didn’t like garlic, it’s time to add it to all your food again!). You can be selfish again now so make the most of it - the best thing in the world is to develop your own interests and loves.

Throw A Party

In her poem The End of Love, writer Sophie Hannah said ‘The end of love should be a big event. It should involve the hiring of a hall.’ What she means is that you shouldn’t just let it trail off into nothing - a huge thing is happening to you, so why not acknowledge that in your life? A year after your relationship split, plan a party to celebrate your new life. The end of a relationship might be a sad and tragic event, but try to think of it as an opening into a brand new exciting life instead.

Aquaphobia, also known as “water fright” is a persistent fear of water. Many people that suffer from the phobia find it almost impossible to go swimming without fearing for their lives. They often feel very anxious and are scared of drowning. In some cases, the fear is so great they cannot even sit in a bathtub filled with water.

You may not know this, but aquaphobia is more common than you think. In today’s article, I will tell you more about the phobia and how to overcome the challenges it poses, especially if you can’t bare the thought of going on asummerbeach holiday.

The thing about aquaphobia is that it can be caused by many different things. For example, it could be a fear of what may be lurking beneath the surface, especially in deep water. Often, the cause can be attributed to a bad experience from one’s childhood.

In some cases, aquaphobia could simply be a fear communicated to someone from one or both of their parents who themselves have that phobia.

It’s normal to have some fear of water

Some people might tell you that “normal” folks don’t have any fears about water whatsoever! The thing is, it’s perfectly normal to be a little anxious about swimming or any other water-related activity.

It’s only when things get extreme, as is the case with aquaphobia, that life can be harder for you. The trick with this particular phobia is to work out why you’ve got it and determine how to overcome it. For example, if someone instilled the fear in you, find a way to prove to yourself those extreme fears were unfounded.

How to get over a fear of water

If aquaphobia has affected your life so much that the thought of a beach holiday frightens you, it’s possible to put things right. As mentioned a moment ago, the first step is to figure out why you are scared of water or drowning in it. People aren’t automatically fearful of water; usually, something happened to them in the past that instilled that fear.

Next, take some simple steps to spend time in the water. For a start, you could sit in your bathtub filled with water. You could then progress to a hot tub and even the shallow end of a swimming pool. One-on-one expert swimming tuitionwill also help you to build your confidence in the water.

Learning to float and balance

For many aquaphobia sufferers, they feel anxious about water because they “can’t” float or balance themselves. One way to tackle that problem is by performing some more simple exercises in shallow water.

For instance, balancing on an inflatable stand-up paddleboard in the shallow end of a swimming pool can be a good start. You don’t have to use them in the sea to learn how to balance or float in water! Take a look atJust Paddleboard's best iSUPs guideto find a suitable product.

Another thing to do in shallow water is to stand where the water is only waist deep. Be sure to wear some PFDs (personal floatation devices) so that you can get more confident with floating in the water.

Take your time

Last, but not least, there is no race for you to get over your fear of water in a short space of time.

Take as long as you need and build up your confidence at a steady pace. Remember: this is all about you, not other people.

About Me

We are a Scottish blogging duo who love everything food and geek related. Connor also loves gaming (Runescape and Battlefield at the moment), technology, Star Wars, and music. Elyse loves fragrance, pretty shoes, candles and cake! You can also find Elyse over on http://www.bohemiaandbabydust.com/ and Connor on http://www.apiratesview.com/

If you would like to get in touch with either of us you can do so on the email below.